Zhou Zhijun tucked the blanket around her, kissed her forehead, and said in a hoarse voice, "I've been going crazy with wanting you!"
A big hand gently stroked her swollen belly through the blanket.
"These two little ones of yours better come out and be good to your parents when you grow up. We’ve put off so many important things because of you two!"
Chuntao said softly, "There’s something important I need to ask you."
Chuntao was curious—during the few days Zhou Zhijun was taken away by Wu Mingwei, not only did he not get into trouble, but he even brought back their marriage certificate and birth permit.
Zhou Zhijun pressed his mouth against her forehead, his nose brushing against her temple. "What is it?"
"How did you manage to get the marriage certificate and birth permit?"
"Oh, that. It’s all thanks to Wu Mingwei…"
Wu Mingwei had long known that his cousin Zuo Jinhui liked Zhou Zhijun, and his mother had repeatedly urged him to play matchmaker.
But he never expected that Zhou Zhijun would end up with Li Chun Tao and even get her pregnant.
That day, he brought Zhou Zhijun back to the commune and straight into the interrogation room. With a stern face, he "questioned" him: "Zhou Zhijun, tell me the truth. What’s really going on between you and Li Chun Tao?"
Facing his old comrade’s interrogation, Zhou Zhijun didn’t hold anything back. He told the whole story of him and Chuntao from start to finish.
"Zhou Zhijun, you’ve got some nerve!"
Wu Mingwei’s face darkened, and he slammed his hand hard on the table. "With the crackdown in full swing, you still dare to openly violate the family planning policy…"
Zhou Zhijun didn’t flinch. He looked up and met his gaze. "I know. Do whatever you want with me. I only beg you to protect her and the child."
Wu Mingwei’s brows knitted into a knot, and he said in a low voice, "If I punish you, how can she, a woman alone and pregnant, look after herself?"
"Zhou Zhijun, Zhou Zhijun… I really misjudged you. I never thought you’d be such a romantic!"
He paused, then sighed. "Too bad this romantic streak of yours comes at the wrong time."
As soon as he finished, Wu Mingwei couldn’t hold it in and suddenly burst out laughing, leaving Zhou Zhijun completely confused.
"Wu Mingwei, what are you going to do with me?"
"What am I going to do?" Wu Mingwei stopped smiling and gave an order with a straight face. "I order you to go get all the necessary paperwork done right now!"
"Yes, sir!" Zhou Zhijun straightened his back and gave him a sharp military salute.
Wu Mingwei personally acted as guarantor to register Chuntao’s household under the Zhou family and processed the marriage certificate.
With the marriage certificate in hand, getting the birth permit should have been easy, but since Chuntao was already several months along, the pregnancy fell outside the plan.
That took some effort. Wu Mingwei pulled strings through several connections before finally securing the permit.
Zhou Zhijun told Chuntao the whole story of getting the permits, ending with, "These past few days, I didn’t do anything else. I just ran around asking for favors. Luckily, it’s all sorted now!"
Chuntao whispered, "We owe a lot to Director Wu. We must never forget his kindness."
"I’ve got that in mind. Don’t you worry. Just focus on resting and taking care of yourself. Eat well and drink well, and that’s enough."
Since Chuntao couldn’t move easily, Zhou Zhijun couldn’t sleep in the same bed with her. He moved a wooden cot next to hers and lay down.
A big hand reached into the blankets and held her small hand tightly. "Tao, I want to hold your hand for a lifetime and never let go."
"Me too!" Her face was flushed, and her voice was small, but Zhou Zhijun heard it clearly.
He gripped her hand even tighter. "In this life, I’ll only cherish you!"
Over in Wang Family Village, the day Liu Cuilan got back home from East Mountain, it was already the fifth watch of the night. She collapsed into a chair, too exhausted to get up for a long time.
The next morning, Zhou Zhaodi and her sister, along with Huang Meili, came running over and surrounded her, asking what had happened.
When they learned that Chuntao hadn’t been taken for an abortion and there was no news about whether Zhou Zhijun had been sentenced, their hopes for a good show fell flat.
Zhou Pandi pouted and said, "Aunt Cuilan, the police station is obviously protecting Zhou Zhijun and Li Chun Tao!"
"That’s right!" Zhou Zhaodi chimed in from the side. "If the station protects him, take it to the county! And if the county protects him too, go to the district! I don’t believe we can’t fix them!"
Just after Zhou Zhaodi and her crew left, Baldy Zhang crept over, but Liu Cuilan cursed him out on the spot.
"You useless coward! You ran away when it was time to make the arrest. Are you even a man?"
Baldy Zhang sneered carelessly. "Liu Cuilan, you have a deep grudge against Li Chun Tao. I’ve got nothing against her. I’m not doing dirty work like that!"
"You’ve done plenty of dirty work!" Liu Cuilan glared at him. "I know you! You’re just scared that Zhou Zhijun will get back at you!"
"Is Zhou Zhijun sentenced or not?" Baldy Zhang asked with a smirk, elbowing her in the chest.
Zhou Zhijun had been taken away by the public security officers, but whether he’d been sentenced, Liu Cuilan didn’t know.
Wu Mingwei and Zhou Zhijun were old comrades with a close bond, but even during the crackdown, she didn’t think Wu Mingwei would dare to openly bend the law.
"What’s it to you whether he’s sentenced? Mind your own business!" Liu Cuilan said crossly.
"It’s none of my business, but it is yours," Baldy Zhang said smugly. "If Zhou Zhijun doesn’t get locked up, do you think he’ll let you off when he’s back?"
His words hit a nerve. Liu Cuilan grew even more scared.
The next morning, Liu Cuilan went straight to the police station to ask around, but she found out nothing. Her unease only grew.
She then went to the Family Planning Office to find Zhang Shuanzhu and urged him to report the matter to higher authorities and have Li Chun Tao brought back for an abortion.
As the head of the Family Planning Office, Zhang Shuanzhu had led his team a hundred li to make the arrest, only to come back empty-handed and exhausted from the hike.
Wu Mingwei hadn’t punished Zhou Zhijun; instead, he’d helped him get the birth permit. Zhang Shuanzhu was fuming with nowhere to vent.
And now Liu Cuilan dared to come boss him around? He slammed the table right then and there.
"Liu Cuilan, my work is none of your business! I know how to do my job!"
Thoroughly snubbed, Liu Cuilan had no choice but to slink home in defeat.
For days afterward, she couldn’t shake her anxiety. She feared that if Zhou Zhijun got off without a sentence, he’d come back for revenge.
She went to talk to Wang Jieshi about it, but Wang Xiaoming overheard.
Wang Xiaoming’s face darkened as he glared at Liu Cuilan, his voice full of anger. "Li Chun Tao is a member of the Zhou family now. She’s got nothing to do with us anymore. Can you just stop stirring up trouble?"
"Wang Xiaoming, what do you mean by that?" Liu Cuilan feigned ignorance.
"Is it true that you led the Family Planning Office to East Mountain to make the arrest?"
Liu Cuilan snorted and pouted. "None of your business!
Back then, she pretended she was going to pay for your schooling, and then she turned her back and ran off with some other man. And you’re still defending her? You’re an idiot!"
Wang Xiaoming couldn’t be bothered to argue. He said coldly, "Just stop meddling in other people’s business. It’s embarrassing!
Whether she marries or has children, that’s her own affair. It’s got nothing to do with you.
If you keep this up, you’ll only make my brother’s life harder!"
With that, Wang Xiaoming stormed out of the house.
Liu Cuilan was so angry she rolled her eyes, cursing at his retreating back, “You traitor! What has Li Chun Tao ever given you that you have to protect her like this?”
The snow outside the yard was thick. Wang Xiaoming walked out of the courtyard, scooped up a handful of snow, packed it into a snowball, and hurled it viciously, only then feeling a slight release of his pent-up frustration.
At that moment, he suddenly saw Zhou Xiaowei approaching from the path by the East Gully. Zhou Xiaowei had left Wangjia Village with Aunt Zhou almost a month ago, and today he was finally back.
Wang Xiaoming’s heart lifted with joy, and he immediately ran to the roadside to wait for him, wanting to ask about Chuntao’s situation.
“Brother Xiaowei, my sister-in-law… is she alright?” Wang Xiaoming rushed up to him, asking urgently.
Zhou Xiaowei had walked until he was sweating profusely and breathing heavily. He raised a hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead and said, “No problem, she’s doing just fine.”
The worry on Wang Xiaoming’s face instantly faded. “That’s good, then!”
No sooner had Wang Xiaoming left the house than Liu Cuilan came out right after him. When she saw Zhou Xiaowei, she hurried over.
She planted her hands on her hips and sprayed spittle in all directions as she said, “Zhou Xiaowei, have you just come back from Dongshan?”
Zhou Xiaowei’s face darkened. “Where I’ve come back from has nothing to do with you!”
“Nothing to do with me?” Liu Cuilan gave a cold laugh, jabbing a finger at his nose. “Zhou Zhijun and Li Chun Tao are fooling around, getting pregnant with a bastard child, and you’re helping to cover it up!”
Zhou Xiaowei glanced at her sideways. “Don’t talk nonsense! Sister-in-law Chuntao and my second uncle have already gotten their marriage certificate. They’re legal husband and wife! What do you mean ‘fooling around’?”
Liu Cuilan’s eyes widened in disbelief. “They got the certificate?”
Then she shrieked shrilly, “During this strict crackdown period, a pregnancy outside the plan and still getting the certificate illegally? It’s not legal at all! I say it’s Wu Mingwei abusing his office for personal gain! I’m going to the county to report him!”
